Tempest Tool & Machine, Inc.
Use Case - Tempest Tool & Machine, Inc. making an impact withwater soluble support material
Customer Profile
Tempest Tool & Machine, Inc. has been in the business of metrology for over 40 years.
During this time, they have partnered with some of the biggest names in the automotive
industry, including Cummins Inc. Tempest is headquartered in Indiana, which is also
home to a large portion of Cummins’ manufacturing and engineering operations. This
proximity has allowed Tempest to gain a wealth of knowledge about gaging throughtheir partnership with Cummins, who is a very metrology-intensive company. Over theyears, Tempest has used this knowledge to develop and improve their own products
and services, making them one of the leading suppliers of gages and quality control
equipment.
Challenge
One of the many parts Tempest produces is a small-scale engine component that is
a 3D printed in a transparent material. These parts, that are copies of larger, real life
components, are often 3D printed as retirement gifts, but they are also used as a training
tool. They are color-coded to help operators learn the various checks that must be madeat different stages of the manufacturing process. Once they have mastered the assembly
process, they will be able to work on the real engine components with confidence. These
training tools are essential; however, Tempest have never before managed to completely
remove all of the support material from the internal cavities of these parts. These diesel
engine cylinder heads are full of cavities and long channels that hold support in places
that simply cannot be reached, even with water-jet.

3D Printed small-scale engine component usedfor training.

Solution
Tempest decided to 3D print these engine components on the Stratasys J55™ Prime
3D printer using WSS™150 (water-soluble support), and by leaving them overnight
to soak in a bucket of regular tap water, the parts were clean and clear of support bymorning. In addition, once the WSS150 support had dissolved, the remaining solution
was solidified using Stratasys L2S™ powder which was then easily disposed of as
non-hazardous, solid waste, in line with local regulations, for increased efficiency andsustainability.
Through rigorous testing, Tempest found that WSS150 support material allowed foreasy removal of support structures from larger engineering parts too, saving both timeand money. WSS150 has already made a significant impact in the 3D printing industry,and Tempest is poised to continue leading the way in this rapidly growing field. Tempest
is at the forefront of the automotive industry, constantly searching for new ways toimprove their products and services. WSS150 is just one example of how they arepushing the boundaries of what is possible with 3D printing.
Impact“Printing one of our small engine parts and using the water-soluble support has been agame changer for us.” Brian Tempest, Design Engineer – Tempest Tool & Machine, Inc.
“We just left it overnight in a bucket of tap water and the part was 100% clean and clearof support. That speaks volumes for what that support material can do for us. It hascompletely changed what we can do as far as clean up. It’s really unbelievably simple.
We’ve got a $5 bucket of tap water and it’s totally hands-off. We have not changedout the WSS support material in the J55 and are using it with all prints because it is soconvenient. We have also tested the Stratasys L2S™ liquid to solid powder with a 10gallon barrel and can report great success. It’s very simple to use and a great option.”
Tempest can now stay ahead of the competition and continue providing their customers
with high-quality products.

WSS™150 (water-soluble support) removalusing tap water.

Labor Cost
Savings95%$12 vs. $240

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